Top 6 Things You Need to Know About Measuring the Color of Plastic Pellets

Measuring the color of plastic pellets is essential for ensuring color consistency and maintaining industry standards. Keep these six things in mind when determining the color of resin pellets.

1. Various Components Affect the Color of Plastic Pellets.

Resin pellets, which are often translucent, can be modified through various coloring methods to become more transparent or opaque or adopt a range of different colors. In addition to coloring techniques, overheating, molding, melting, and other production processes can influence the color and appearance of the pellets.

2. Industry Standards Promote Color Quality.

Industry standards are an essential factor to consider when measuring the color of resin pellets. These standards outline the best testing methods and the results you should expect. Implementing a color measurement system that adheres to industry standards is crucial to ensuring quality control.

3. Compliance and Acceptance Depend on Objective Color Data.

Medical, food, pharma, and auto have strict material standards. For example, medical packaging must meet stringent color requirements to ensure consumer safety. Manufacturers face severe penalties for noncompliance, in addition to the potentially high cost of any waste. Similarly, failure to meet an auto manufacturer's color specifications can lead to expensive rejections and rework requests.

HunterLab helps you meet regulations and expectations with spectrophotometers that provide objective color data to demonstrate compliance.

4. Spectrophotometers Uphold Excellent Quality Control.

Reliable spectrophotometers/colorimeters, like the innovative solutions from HunterLab, offer a scientific approach to measuring the color of resin pellets with accurate and speedy readings. These devices provide quantitative color measurements and valuable data highlighting inconsistencies, allowing you to refine your processes for better quality control.

HunterLab's next-gen Agera L2 is the ideal spectrophotometer/colorimeter for quantifying the appearance of plastic pellets. This advanced solution offers plastics manufacturers precise and objective color measurement for data-based quality decisions. We've engineered the Agera L2 to deliver maximum value in demanding plastic production environments.

Improve accuracy with every measurement. This equipment eliminates unreliable, unscientific visual evaluation methods without compromising the ability to measure color the way humans perceive it. The Agera L2 features 0°/45° circumferential optical geometry and CIE-quality D65 illumination that replicates human vision in daylight conditions for a true representation of appearance.

A built-in, high-definition camera with sample preview helps ensure that users present and position samples correctly to minimize measurement discrepancies. Additionally, role-based user management upholds data integrity, security, and compliance with 21 CFR Part 11.

The Agera L2 drives production efficiency too. An extra-large area of measurement offers 4 to 16 times the sample surface measurement of other spectrophotometers, and results are displayed in under 3 seconds. An automated rotation platform accessory repositions samples at specified degrees and intervals to simplify averaging. This spectrophotometer also features a storage capacity of up to 8GB, or up to 4 million records — perfect for high-volume color analysis.

Plus, the Agera L2 is easy to use, with intuitive navigation and onboard, tablet-based Easymatch Essentials L2 software for independent color workstation functionality. An HDMI port enables monitor connection, while Ethernet and USB ports support fast data exchange and keyboard or mouse additions if preferred. Deploy this equipment at any production stage for fast identification of color alterations to minimize unnecessary waste and empower quick adjustments.

We've also designed the Agera L2 for the unique challenges of color measurement in opaque plastics. Dark Performance Mode provides 6x precision improvements for samples below 20% reflectance, including black, dark gray, and deep blue plastics. Built-in automatic UV calibration simplifies working with samples containing various amounts of brightening agents.

5. Pellet Color Consistency Is Easier With the Right Accessories.

Pellets demand a specialized measurement approach for the highest accuracy and consistent results.

The Agera L2 from HunterLab makes this easy with high-quality accessories engineered for this spectrophotometer and workflow. Our specially designed sample cups, sample cup port plates, and opaque sample cup covers offer versatility across pellets with different opacities.

Measure in bulk by filling the cup to a height of 45mm for transparent pellets with the opaque sample cup cover, and 25mm for translucent or opaque ones — a fast, stable, and repeatable setup for pellet color quantification and measurement consistency.

6. Accurate Color Measurements Contribute to Sustainability Practices.

When measuring the color of plastic resin, you must factor in the yellowing effect that occurs due to oxidation and the correct dosage of optical brighteners needed to mitigate that outcome. Optical brighteners are used in plastic production to enhance the whiteness or brightness of plastic pellets, masking the yellowing effect. They are also crucial for restoring the appearance of recycled plastics.

With government and regulatory bodies demanding an increase in the usage of recycled plastic to lessen the environmental impact of plastic production, spectrophotometers have become crucial for measuring color throughout the product life cycle. Spectrophotometers with color and fluorescent quality measurement capabilities, like HunterLab's solutions, can help counter yellowness and allow for the adjustment of the amount of optical brighteners in recycled content.

Using HunterLab spectrophotometers for accurate color measurement of raw and recycled materials, as well as blends of the two, can help you prevent color inconsistency that often leads to product wastage, reworks, and inefficient use of resources. These solutions allow you to maintain a production process that contributes toward a more sustainable future.

Connect With the Color Experts From HunterLab

As a leading color measurement solution provider with decades of industry experience, HunterLab provides top-rated spectrophotometers/colorimeters that improve efficiency and maintain industry standards. We help the world's plastic manufacturers achieve consistent, repeatable color quality — and have more than 70 years of experience doing so. Browse our entire selection of color measurement solutions for the plastics industry, or reach out to us for a quote or to speak to our expert team today!